The Mask of the Red Death; an analysis
             The outlandish characters, vivid imagery, and dramatic symbolism provide an exemplary backdrop for this tale of betrayal, redemption, and irony.
             The characters in "The Mask of the Red Death" include Prince Prospero (who is the only person that speaks in the story), a multitude of the Prince's wealthy friends, and the masked figure, which doesn't appear until the end of the story. Prince Prospero's name indicates happiness and good-fortune. Ironically, this is not the tone of the story. The prince is an unusual man with strange tastes. "His plans were bold and fiery, and his conceptions glowed with barbaric luster. There are some who would have thought him mad." The multitude of friends that the Prince brings with him to his abbey are described as "hale and lighthearted friends." These friends and their joyous actions lend a feeling of gaiety to the story. The uncaring and celebratory manner in which they present themselves seems vain and ludicrous - given the dreadful circumstances occurring outside the abbey.
             I don't believe that the character of the masked figure was a person at all. It was more like a phantasm. When the Prince's guests seized the "mummer" and took a hold of him, they soon realized that all they were holding was the mask, and it was "untenanted by any tangible form." It wears clothing used to bury the dead, which indicates its strong relationship with the non-living. Although the figure lures the Prince (and eventually all of his guests) to his death, I did not feel the figure was evil. Its actions brought redemption to the peasants who were deserted by their wealthy leaders. The horror that will lead to the end of their fantasy is not realized until the masked figure displays signs of the Red Death. "His vesture was dabbled in blood- and his broad brow, with all the feature...